


Trick or Treat

by Welsper



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, Halloween, M/M, Romance, Trick or Treating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-04 20:49:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21203885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Welsper/pseuds/Welsper
Summary: Senkuu decides to have a little fun with old traditions.





	Trick or Treat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Moon_Blitz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_Blitz/gifts).

“That time of the year, huh?”

Senkuu looked up at the stars and squinted his eyes.

The weather patterns had changed over the years, before humanity went to sleep, of course, and so had the stars. But it was an easy enough thing for Senkuu to figure out the calendar and what time of the year it was. The air was colder now and the leaves were turning golden and falling. It was annoying because it meant having to stop some crucial work earlier – generating enough energy for lights was still a tricky thing and it wasn’t progressing as fast as Senkuu would like it too even with everyone working together.

But they had come far.

This winter, no one would starve as they so often so had, the deaths and the misery holding back these people from every becoming more than a little seaside village. The granaries and storehouses were full and they would last in the winter. Yuzuhira had made excellent work on winter clothes and sheets and insulation – frankly, her output was so fast it was scary. Everyone here was a monster in some way or the other.

Senkuu watched Suika run past, with her little helmet, and smiled to himself. In Senkuu’s memories, little children ran excitedly from house to house dressed up too, asking fondly smiling neighbors for candy and chocolates. Life had been simpler back then. It should be simple, for children. And it would be again, Senkuu would do everything he could for it.

Little kids like Suika shouldn’t be fighting evil kingdoms and megalomaniac rulers fancying themselves gods and kings simply because they were the boss of their little smelly corner of the world. They shouldn’t worry about dying from malnourishment or being eaten by wildlife.

They should still have their parents.

They should eat candy and watch silly spooky cartoons and get bellyaches from all those stupid sweets.

Senkuu would make sure things would go back to the way they should be. Or maybe it was actually go forward, now? Going around celebrating wasn’t going to save the world from its peril. But it didn’t hurt to have fun sometimes, did it?

It had been such a simple enough thing in the past, buying candy. You never knew how much you missed combini until they were gone.

“Kaseki! Make us a big pot, will you? We gotta boil some stuff!”

“Hoo, is it for science?” Kaseki scratched his beard. His shirt was already bulging with muscles playing underneath. Making the pot was easy enough for him, child’s play, even. But even with this, Kaseki had his fun. Where would they be without him?

Chrome brought the ingredients from the storehouse, to give the candies flavor.

Soon the sugar and the honey was boiling over a big fire, drawing the villagers from their huts to see what Senkuu was up to now.

“Ooh, are you making candy?” Gen asked over his shoulder. Of course he would be drawn by the sweet smell.

“Hm. Something to give out later,” Senkuu said with a faint smile as he told Taiju and Magma how to stir the mass so it would properly mix.

“We’re doing that?”

Taiju heaved the big pot over his head easily and poured the boiling hot caramelized mixture onto a table. Everyone helped out, separating the cooled, hardened mass into small pieces and wrapped them up into little papers.

“What are we going to do with them?” Suika asked him, failing badly to hide the excitement in her voice. Senkuu grinned at her as he and Taiju and Gen handed out bags of the candies to the adults.

“You’re going to go around and ask for them!” Yuzuriha had sneaked up behind Suika and pulled a little white sheet over her head, turning her into a little ghost.

“Yeah, just go up to the huts and say Trick or Treat,” Taiju said as he helped Yuzuriha turn more children into little ghosts and monsters and creatures.

Soon the village was filled with the laughter and shrieks of little trick or treaters. Children were always the same, no matter which year. Senkuu was glad they got to be little again, maybe even just for one night. Who knew what kind of dangers tomorrow would bring?

The night turned darker and children were running around with their bags full of candies and sweets and little toys Yuzuriha and Kaseki had whipped up in the spur of the moment to give out.

Senkuu got up and stretched, joints popping back into place and sore muscles protesting at the sudden movement. What he wouldn’t give for Taiju’s endless energy sometimes. The man was a perpetuum mobile in his own right.

Senkuu wandered to the outskirts of the village. Time for one more thing. Chrome didn’t hear him as he knocked on the door, too engrossed in some experiment. Senkuu looked over his shoulder and snickered as it fell apart. He wasn’t gonna tell Chrome, he could figure that out by himself.

Chrome pulled a face as he noticed Senkuu hovering over him.

“I’m gonna make it work!”

“I know you will,” Senkuu said and helped Chrome to his feet. Their hands touched for longer than necessary, but neither of them said a word. They never did these days, when they bumped into each other or got too close during work.

“Hey, Chrome,” Senkuu said and the smile on his face was warm. There was a hint of snide to it, as there always, but Chrome never seemed to mind. “Ask.”

“Huh? Isn’t it just for kids?”

“Ah, I’ll make an exception for you. You never did it when you were a kid, right?”

Chrome shook his head. Senkuu chuckled to himself. Of course he wouldn’t have. The celebration had never been that big in Japan, after all. Although it was starting to become more of a thing right before the petrification, thanks to all the influence from Hollywood movies. Senkuu might have thought maybe Lilian would have preserved it in some way or the other… but they must have thought other things more important than that. Of course.

“Just say it” Senkuu said. Chrome narrowed his eyes at him. He looked cute like that, thinking. He always needed a while and usually, it was something everyone already knew by then, but he had spirit. Senkuu was glad he found someone like that in this time as well.

“You’re not trying to prank me, are you?”

“Do I do that? I’m not you,” Senkuu said and scratched his ear. “Just say it. It’s nothing bad, I promise. What’s the worst I could give you, candy?”

“Oh, um. Then. Trick or treat?” Chrome smiled, but there was a nervousness to it. That boy always wore his heart on his sleeve. There really were no subtle people left on this world, were they? At times, they could be annoying, but Senkuu like having them around. He missed the old world, no doubt. He missed going to the store and just buying the new parts he needed, he missed the internet and libraries and not having to break his back searching for minerals and ingredients he could have ordered on Amazon a long time ago. He missed Byakuya.

But if everything went back to the way it was, then Senkuu would miss something else too. His new friends, the village and the spirit of discovery. The sense that he could do it, make that difference.

He’d miss Kaseki and his never ending drive, he’d miss Kohaku (her volume, not so much), the little Suika and even the people from the past he might have never truly met if they hadn’t turned to stone along with him.

And maybe most of all, he’d miss Chrome.

Senkuu grabbed Chrome by the shoulders and pulled him towards him. The man nearly stumbled, clumsy as he was, but Senkuu held him.

“Happy Halloween, Chrome,” Senkuu said and leaned in. The touch of their lips was soft, and Senkuu saw Chrome stare at him wide-eyed for a moment before his eyes fluttered shut.

Ten billion percent cute.

The hustle and bustle of the village being their generally insane selves was drowned out for a moment by just their quiet breathing and the soft beat of Senkuu’s heart in his chest. Senkuu felt Chrome put his hands on his hips and pull him closer.

For once, Chrome was stunned silent when Senkuu drew back.

“Oh. That. That’s definitely better than the candy,” Chrome said, his cheeks flushed. He hadn’t let go of his hips and Senkuu had no intentions of telling him to do so. Chrome liked exploring, didn’t he?

And who was Senkuu to curb the enthusiasm of a young scientist?


End file.
